The true wealth of a nation lies not merely in natural resources, foreign-exchange reserves or industrial production, but in the intellectual and technical endowments of its people, their inventive capacities and the practical wisdom acquired through experience. When a society invests substantially in educating its citizens yet cannot offer opportunities commensurate with their abilities, migration becomes symptomatic of a deeper dislocation in national development. Figures presented before the National Assembly therefore demand an examination of the relationship between human potential and the national interest.

Responding to a question by Dr Shazia Sobia Aslam Soomro, Minister of State for Overseas Pakistanis Muhammad Aun Saqlain disclosed that more than 1.871 million Pakistanis had gone abroad seeking employment over the preceding three years. They included physicians, engineers, information-technology specialists, teachers, nurses, pharmacists, accountants, systems analysts and financial experts indispensable to a modern economy. Yet the aggregate number of departing workers must not be conflated with that of highly qualified professionals; the classifications are distinct.

Official particulars indicate that 45,830 highly qualified Pakistanis went abroad in 2024, followed by 28,726 in 2025 and 15,850 during the reported portion........

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